Improvement in machines for assorting nails



2 Sheets--Sheet 1'.

B. BEVELANDER. Machines fur Asserting Nails;

N0. 138,783. Patented May13,-187 3.

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Machines for Asserting Nails.- N0.138,783. Patented Ma 13,1a73.

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AM Pin/0T0 LITHOGRAPHIC ca N. X(0sa omvs's PRacEss) UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

BENJAMIN BEVELANDER, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ASSORTING NAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,783, dated May 13, 1873; application filed May 31, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN BEVELANDER, of Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Machinery for Assorting Nails, Tacks, 800., and. presenting the same to the action of the mechanism which inserts them in the work, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to a machine for assorting nails, tacks, and other articles, in which amagnet is employed to pick up, one by one, the nails or other articles to be assorted. It may be generally stated to consist, first, in the combination of a hopper or receptacle, a reciprocating carrier, which, at each upward movement, lifts one of the nails or other articles contained in said hopper above the rest, and a vibratory magnet, which, at each movement, is brought in contact with the nail or other article on the carrier, and serves to lift away from the carrier and out from the hopper the said article; second, in the combination, with Said hopper, carrier, and magnet, of a stripper, which, at the proper time, strips from the magnet the nail or other article lifted by the latter. from the hopper.

In the drawing accompanying this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, Fig. 2a vertical section, Fig. 3 an end elevation, and Fig. 4; aplan, of a machine embodying my invention.

In the drawing, A represents a rectangular flaring hopper, attached to the upper part of a standard or post, B, and provided with a spout or chute, (J, for conducting nails to its interior from a quantity thrown promiscuously into a receptacle properly situated above the spout. To the outer face of the standard B I apply an upright sliding plate or carrier, D, which plays within suitable" guides or ways affixed to the said standard, and passes upward through an orifice in the bottom of the hopper, reciprocating rectilinear motions in a vertical path being imparted to the carrier (which is of a width about equal to that of the hopper) by means of a crank or crank-wheel, E, the wrist-pin F of which extends into a transverse slot, G, formed in said carrier, the crank or crank-wheel being affixed to one end of a horizontal shaft, H, which revolves in bearings formed in or applied to the standard B, and a second standard, I, disposed near it. To the upper part of the standard B, and to one side of the hopper A, and rising above the latter, I afiix a bifurcated post or arm, J, while to the upper extremity of such post I pivot, upon a rock-shaft, M, the base of a loadstone or other magnet, K, of ordinary production, this magnet being disposed edgewise in a vertical plane, and being of such a length as to span, or nearly so, the said hopper. Swinging or rocking motions in a vertical plane toward or away from the hopper are to be imparted to the magnet K by any suitable means, that herein shown being a yoke or bent rod, A, attached to the shaft M by a chain, and depressed by a wiper-cam, N, affixed to the driving-shaft H, the magnet being depressed to-- ward the hopper by a spring, 0. The reciprocating feeding-plate or carrier D at its extreme upward traverse and the magnet at its lowest position toward the hopper should meet, or. practically so, in order that the magnet may impinge against and seize a nail or tack brought up by the carrier. In order to strip from the magnet the nail or nails adhering to it, and deposit the nail in a suitable trough or receiver which will convey it to the driving mechanism,

I pivot, opposite the base of the magnet, an upright vibratory fork or bifurcated bar, P, the fulcrum a of which is a horizontal rock-shaft, journaled in a bracket, 12, extending from the side of the standard B, the vibratory reciprocations of the fork being affected by a wiper cam, Q, afiixed to the driving-shaft in such manner that, as the magnet reaches a horizontal position in one extreme of movement, or that away from the hopper, the fork begins, by the action of the greater diameter of the cam Q, to slide upon and away from the magnet, and strips from it a nail adhering to it, the foot of the fork being maintained in contact with the cam by a suitable'spring.

The action of the above-described mechanism is as follows, predicating the explanation upon the supposition that the carrier or feeder D is tobe at its extreme lowest position, and the magnet in a horizontal position away from the hopper and embraced by the fork, the hop per being partially or wholly filled with nails which fall promiscuously into it from the chute O: The driving-shaft being put in rotation,

the magnet K for a while remains motionless, while the feeder D and fork begin to move simultaneously, the former upward to elevate a nail and the latter outward to remove from the magnet the nail adhering to it. These motions continue until the fork has moved over the magnet sufliciently far to detach the nail, and the feed-plate has reached about half its ascent, when the greater diameter of the cam N recedes from the yoke or bar A and the magnet by the action of its spring, is swung or rocked upon its fulcrum over toward the hopper, the said motions of the feed-plate and magnet continuing until the extreme position of each is reached, as shown in the drawing, in which case the plate and magnet meet, or practically meet, and the nail, which has lodged upon the upper edge of said plate and been raised by and with it, is seized by the attractive power of the magnet, the fork having been released by its cam and suffered to advance to its extreme point toward the hopper. By the continued revolution of the drivingshaft the feed-plate and magnet now separate, the former descending below the mass of nails in the hopper, and the latter rocking over away from the hopper and between the prongs of the fork, as before stated, which brings us to our starting-point.

The operations'of the machine become hereafter continuous and automatic until the required number of nails have been used.

It will be observed that the magnet intercepts the feed-plate at or about at the center of the latter, and it will be observed that the nail adhering to the lower edge of the magnet will tilt thereupon, head downward, and adhere to one or the other side of the magnet, according to the disposition of the head of the nail. As the magnet rocks upon its shaft, and

its horizontal position is reversed thereby, the point end of the nail is downward in a proper position to be driven, or fed to the driving mechanism.

The upper edge of the feed-plate should be grooved in order the more surely to retain a nail upon it, and should be of such thickness that but one nail can lodge upon it at one time.

The advantages of my invention, aside from its manifest simplicity in construction and operation, are seen in the fact that if an imperfect nail or shim, as it is called, or an unusually large nail should be found among the lot in the hopper, it will be presented without derangement of the machine, or injurious effect in any manner.

Claims.

1. In machinery for asserting nails, tacks, &c., I claim the combination, with the nail hopper or receptacle, of a vertically-reciprocating carrier, sliding within an orifice in the bottom of the hopper, anda rocking or vibratory magnet arranged to move towards and away from the carrier, said parts being arranged for joint operation, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In combination with said hopper, reciprocating carrier and vibratory magnet, arranged and operating as specified in the preceding clause, I claim the vibratory. stripper, arranged and operating to remove the nail from the magnet after said nail has been lifted by the latter out of the hopper, substantially as herein shown and described.

BENJ. BEVELANDER.

Witnesses FRED. CURTIS, W. E. BOARDMAN. 

